Aristide Economopoulos/The Star-LedgerColin White practiced with the team Thursday after skating on his own the previous two days. Whether he plays Friday will be "a game-day decision,'' coach Brent Sutter said.

Patrik Elias expects to play when the Devils visit the Chicago Blackhawks Friday, after missing the last game Monday night in Philadelphia, but defenseman Colin White -- who practiced for the first time with the team since he was injured in the first period of the March 17 victory over the Blackhawks -- will be a "game-day decision,'' according to White and coach Brent Sutter.

"I'm not 100 percent sure, but I'm thinking there's a chance it can happen,'' Sutter said after Thursday's practice. "(Friday) morning, I'll know more... This was the first full practice he's been through -- he's skated on his own the last couple days, but first full practice and we'll see how he responds from it. If he responds well from it, then I would assume he'd probably play tomorrow. If he doesn't (respond) then he won't (play).''

White said he felt "good'' after practice, though he didn't say whether he believed he will play Friday.

He did say he believes he is past the injury (the Devils officially called it a "lower body'' injury) and said his recovery time was not longer than he and the team initially thought it would be.

"We were taking it a day at a time and that's what we did,'' he said. "We just continued on that path until you feel well. I'm sure this time of year, things linger around. We had a tough week -- five games in seven nights, then we had three days off there, so it was a good rest - a good time to get some rest this week.''

Elias, meanwhile, said he will play Friday. He said he had "a little muscle tightness'' he felt in the Boston game on Sunday. But he also said he felt "good'' after practice. He said Monday morning (before the Philadelphia game) he was "on the fence'' as to whether or not to play. In the end, he and the team decided that with three days between games, skipping the Philadelphia game was the prudent course of action.

"I wanted to make sure,'' Elias said. "It stiffened up on me the last game I played, and with the big stretch coming, a lot of games down the stretch here, I wanted to make sure I'm good for that and make sure I'm good for the playoffs.''

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Sutter moved Dainius Zubrus back to the second line, between Elias and Brian Gionta, after Zubrus looked good in Philadelphia centering a line between Gionta and Brian Rolston. Rolston, who had been centering the second line, dropped back down to the third line, between Brendan Shanahan and David Clarkson.

"I just like the way 'Zubes' played with 'Gio' the other night,'' Sutter explained when asked about the line change. "In Philadelphia, Zubrus might have been one of our better players - if not our best player. And when he plays that way, and plays like he's capable of playing, that's where he should be.

"You've got to think about ... what an individual brings to the other guys on the line, and what they may need sometimes, and why some of their games dropped off too,'' Sutter continued. "The way Zubes played the other night, it's tough for him not to play up there. He's been playing up there three-quarters of the year and Rollie got an opportunity, and not saying Rollie didn't play well, but they're just two different types of players. And what fits best for that line in different scenarios. And you could see this happening throughout here, now, some rotation - depending on how things are going.''

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Most of the players enjoyed their two days of not skating Tuesday and Wednesday. Zubrus said he didn't leave his house on Wednesday. "My wife asked me to put in a chandelier that has 100 lights,'' he said. "I spent, like six hours and a good five or six times, almost went out the window,'' he said. Mike Rupp, though, said he always feels a little weird coming back to practice after a day off. "I think your body gets used to a routine,'' he said.